Gösta Berlings Saga - Glue Works (2011)

"Glue Works" is the third album by these Swedish. Gösta Berlings Saga are an totally instrumental avant-prog quartet, though in their new work they chose a more post-rock way to express their King Crimson and Anekdoten influences (always compared with their two previous records). These guys are talented composers and players, something you'll easily understand after a listening. Fresh and unpredictable prog with a lot of "guest" instruments such as piano, harmonica, cello, tuba, trumpet which perfectly transfers the 70's era in the modern world.  

Enjoy!

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Desert Wizards - Desert Wizards (2011)

Desert Wizards are a quartet from Ravenna, Italy and they released an amazingly emotional, dreamy, warm, hard psych album. DW were formed in 2007, they released a self-financed EP in 2008 and a self-financed album in 2009 called "Dos". This year they released this same-titled record through Black Widow which is actually a newer version of "Dos". Great 70's-inspired hard psych with trippy (male and female) vocals blended with some of stoner's sound characteristics. Cool guitar and organ work moving from heavier paths to more melodic and back accompanied by spacey ideas. Overall it's one of the most dynamic neo-psych album I've heard this year. I wasn't bored or tired for a single moment and I highly recommend it. I'm waiting to hear more stuff like this one from these guys...

Enjoy!
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Gnod - Ingnodwetrust (2011)

"Ingnodwetrust" is Gnod's latest album released a couple of months ago, consisting of two tracks (one for each side of the LP) with total duration of 33min. The first track "Tony's First Communion" is a mainly drum and bass tune which slowly building up with some synths and swirling guitars creating a trippy atmosphere. The second one "Vatican" is more "disturbing" with organs, distorted drums and bass, spaced post-apocalyptic samples and vocals which give you a darker, "end-of-the-days" feeling. Cheers!

Enjoy!
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Moccasin - Last Leaf (2006)

A while ago Paul, a fellow blogger who runs Listen Learn Look, reminded me Moccasin through a great compilation he made and you can find it here. Moccasin were a 4-piece band from Denver and "Last Leaf" is their only release along with a split with Darker My Love. I really love this record and each time I hear it, it's really absorbing me. You know these nine dark, slow, druggy psych jams (with a pinch of shoegaze) have an amazing flow and you really feel their pulse inside you. It's sad that nothing more came out from these guys...

Enjoy!

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Loon - Loon (2011)

Loon's same-titled debut is another one record which passed quite unnoticed and I really wonder why. This (two-part female) trio from Providence, Rhode Island bring us one of the finest sludge/doom albums with quite a lot dark folk in it. An excellent slow-driven, heavy album with vocals that sometimes tearing you apart and others bringing out an occult mellow feeling. Don't pass it by!

Enjoy!
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It's relased in LP only (250 copies). You can mail the band for purchasing it at:loon401@gmail.com

Ilsa - Tutti il Colori del Buio (2010)

Ilsa are a five-piece nihilist band coming from US. These guys probably took the name by the '74 exploitation film "Ilsa, She Wolf Of The SS" and they're creating some really nasty brutal exploitation music as well. Heavy death-influenced sludge with a lot of violent, devastating crust slabs. Fans of Coffins, Eyehategod, Burning Witch and even Amebix will find it highly enjoyable. Not recommended for sensitive ears!

Enjoy!
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Chivo - Swamp of Sounds (2010)

"Swamp of Sounds" is the debut album by Chivo, a stoner four-piece band coming from Spain. Heavy riffs, pounding drums, thick bass lines and perfectly matching vocals are all part of the deal. The good production makes it even better and more enjoyable. A heavy, groovy and powerful album for anyone who's into stoner. Great stuff!

You can download the album through their bandcamp page by paying anything you want.
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Religious Knives - Smokescreen (2011)

Released few months ago, Religious Knives' latest work is an excellent sample of dark drone-psych including some of the best lethargic grooves. Repetitive tribal drumming, swirling guitars and organs preparing the mind for a pagan ritual in the middle of a forest, on a rainy autumn night... The whole record creates an amazing sometimes hypnotic, others ecstatic atmosphere which is pointless to describe with words. If you dig stuff like Wooden Shjips, Black Angels, Moon Duo, Eternal Tapestry then "Smokescreen" is something you need to hear. You should check their previous works too...

Enjoy!
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Rock Trips Mixtape Vol. 3

Third 2-hour mixtape from Rock Trips radio show. In this week's show I was actively involved since the second mate was on vacations and I (kind of) replaced him. So half of the tracks are my choices and half by Sakis.  Enjoy!

Poney - Seamyth (2010)

Poney is a five-piece band from Wausau, Wisconsin formed 6 years ago. So far they have released two EPs and "Seamyth" which is their debut album. "Seamyth" is a concept album based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" and I have to say that is a pretty strange record but in a good way...

Traitors Return To Earth - Smoke Screen EP (2011)

Although this killer EP was posted in almost all the major heavy blogs, I didn't check it. With so many releases is quite difficult to catch them all. Thanks to Justin Ringle (TRTE's drummer) who came in touch, I had the chance to give it a listen. And I didn't get disappointed at all. Five epic mid-tempo sludge/stoner dynamites which is enough to blow your head off but not enough to satisfy my appetite for down-tempo heavy riffage (its duration is just 31min). Nothing innovative for these guys from Columbus, Ohio, just some good old stoner/sludge played from the depths of their swampish hearts. Loud and heavy as I like it. After the release of the EP, band's bassist departed from the band but I want to believe that the 3 remaining mates will continue what they started 'cause a brilliant start like this one must be continued. Cheers!

You can download their EP from their bandcamp page by paying anything you want.
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Cozmonaut's Stoner & Heavy Rock Haven

Cozmo, a great guy from Edinburgh launched a new place for the heavy rock scene. You can visit it for albums' reviews, info about lives in Scotland and UK and of course for the great podcast series he started for our beloved heavy downtuned music.

Quoting Cozmo:

"They say that when you get music and words together, that can be a very powerful thing. But if you add to that some Jack Daniels, a few kick-ass speakers and a semi-psychotic DJ from somewhere in the Great Basin Desert you've got yourself a party. And this is the plan!

Stay tuned for the most wicked Stoner/Sludge/Doom/Southern rock events in Scotland.

Stay heavy!

Cheers,

Cozmo"

You can also drop him a line at cozmonautedinburgh@gmail.com if you are in a band and you want your work to be reviewed or have your song included in the next podcasts.

Support and Enjoy!

Cozmonaut's MySpace # Cozmonaut's Facebook

Summer Bacchanalia - Volume II (2011)

Another great discovery I made these days and it really makes my day when a band pops up from nowhere and I hear something really cool. Summer Bacchanalia (Bacchanalia was a frenzy, mystic, alcohol-driven fests in honor of the greek-roman god Dionysus-Bacchus) is an Italian trio and they put up five psych-stoner improv jams in this release with duration close to 50min. Nice well-played ideas moving from doom to 70's heavy psych. Cheers!

Enjoy!
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Nitroseed - Molt (2006)

I recently "re-discovered" Nitroseed's one and only album in my library and I thought it was a good chance to introduce it to anyone might not know them. "Molt" is a total instrumental stoner-heavy rock album and the keywords for it are: Riffs, riffs and riffs! A 37min long, riff parade just to please your ears. Fans of the heavy instrumental scene (eg. Karma To Burn) are going to love it.
(I hope their new album will find its way out soon........)

Enjoy!
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Sunflare - Young Love (2011)

Coming from Portugal Sunflare blow out your mind with four tracks of high-energy, fuzzy, loud, on drugs rock'n'roll psychedelia. Praisers of High Rise must check this!

Enjoy!
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Thousands - Thousands EP (2011)

I came across Thousands' first release by chance as I was "scanning" bandcamp and it immediately drag my attention. They're a Boston based instrumental (mainly) math rock trio and this 2-track EP is their first recording attempt, although they have a lot of live appearances. It's hard for me to get stuck with this kind of music cause sometime I feel math (and post) rock bands missing the point. Well these guys really got me. Great compositions, very interesting structures and generally excellent dreamy music. A quick fix for fans of Don Caballero, Russian Circles and even Shellac.

You can download it for free through their bandcamp page.
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Ice Dragon - The Sorrowful Sun (2011)

2011 becomes better and better as far the music part concerned (cause in all other aspects of life is quite fucked up). I feel that when it's the time to put out my best releases list for this year, I'll have a big fat problem. Ice Dragon's second album, makes this problem even bigger because it's one more work to consider where in the hell to place it.

Ice Dragon could be the bastard child of Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard. You probably noticed it from their first album (which was absolutely amazing!). As the band states "The Sorrowful Sun" is "concise epic, at once Neolithic, futuristic, electric, and acoustic". The acoustic parts make the album even heavier and trippy, believe it or not. They're giving this retro feeling. Make the music sound HEAVIER but not monolithic. Less than 40min are enough for these guys to blow your head with a big bong, give the world a fuck off and get lost in a psych ecstatic state. Highly recommended! 

Enjoy!

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Hazard County Girls - Divine Armor (2006)

"Divine Armor" was the second album these New Orleans' girls released five years ago. I heard their debut "Never No More" years ago but I didn't like it. Few months ago I checked this one and it really got me. Awesome gloomy doom-driven rock with many huge riffs hitting you again and again. This trio really have skill in awakening moody, desperate emotions with their gritty monster riffs, heavily pounded drums and downbeat basslines. The smooth, dark, sometimes ethereal vocals complete the dark atmosphere. It was a pity I missed this album for so many years but it's never late..

Enjoy!
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Three Dimensional Tanx - Three Dimensional Tanx (2011)

Three Dimensional Tanx is a high-voltage psych punk rock band based in Lancaster. This isn't actually an official release but a band's sampler with 11 tunes offered by them through their bandcamp. TDT is from the kind of bands whose primary object is to give as many lives as they can and that's what make them gain people's love. Musically you can find references to Spacemen 3, Jesus and Mary Jane, Sun Dial, Stooges...... Check them out and they definitely going to fill you with a lot of energy! Highly enjoyable!

You can download it through their bandcamp page for free.
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Greensugar - Greensugar (2011)

Coming from Chicago, Greensugar is a four-piece band playing some A' class quite heavy blues'n'roll. It's obvious that the band is very tight and they really know how to play, something you gain through numerous jams, rehearsals and gigs as these guys did. Great soul inspired and played music which won't let you down!

Enjoy!
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Rock Trips Mixtape Vol. 2

Here is the second 2-hour mixtape from Rock Trips radio show. Hope you like it. Cheers!

The Hanna Barbarians - Syzygy (2011)

I don't know why this release passed unnoticed. As far as I remember I didn't see anyone mention it and it's a pity cause is a really good one and really makes my day when I'm listening to it.
The Hanna Barbarians are a 6-piece band from Fort Worth, Texas. Syzygy is their debut and is an album full of passion, heart and soul. It has the warm blues feeling, the rebellious rock'n'roll vitality and the hazy, hypnotic creativity of heavy psych. Check it and I'm sure you'll appreciate it! And if you have the chance don't miss them live. From what I saw they really kick ass!

Enjoy!
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The Quiet Americans - Medicine (2011)

To be honest I've never dug into noise pop except from a couple of bands. But a while ago Luke from The Quiet Americans came in touch and asked me to check their EP which I really liked it. These guys totally love fuzz! Fuzzed-out guitars are everywhere from the first second until the end. But they're not alone. They're bringing their cool company of cool garage-pop melodies, organ swirls, lot of distort, noise reverb and dreaming vocals. Great soundtrack for summer's nights.

You can download it through their bandcamp for free or buy the cassette for 5$.
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Sunday Driver On Tour - Tales From Beyond EP (2010)

SDOT is a five-piece Polish band and they released their first EP last year. They blend metal, stoner with some more classic hard rock forms and an ample touch of southern rock. Five heavy aggressive tracks, the perfect company for drinking a six-pack of beer.

Enjoy!
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Some thoughts...

I'm thinking for quite a long time now to set up a web radio. The initial thought was to find a station to make a show but it proved quite difficult in my area. In Greece while there are a great number of web radios, none of them play the music I'm trying to support through this blog. Since now I've found a couple of friends who are interested in playing some tunes (and help me with the expenses) and I believe that I'll find some more.

The plan for now is to set up the web radio which will be broadcasting 24/7 all these let's say downtuned stuff and some shows in a weekly basis. Of course I'm open to broadcasts of music that isn't widely promoted (eg. rock'n'roll, funk or anything fitting the experimental genre). Most of the shows will be Greek speaking but I intend (and want) to have guys from other countries too, either in permanent basis or having some guest shows. I believe it will be a good way for someone to promote his local scene too.

I'm not sure if this is going to happen but I'll give it a try hoping I'll find some positive feedback. So if anyone interested, you are welcome to contact me through the blog's email. Also if anyone knows any good hosting plans (cause I've done some research but still chaos rules my mind), drop me an email too. I'll appreciate your help!

Cheers,
Thanos 

Gentleman's Pistols - At Her Majesty's Pleasure (2011)

I wanted to post this one from Thursday but then I got sick. Fuckin' flu.. Anyway. Four years after their debut album, the mighty Gentleman's Pistols are finally back with their new work "At Her Majesty's Pleasure". I suppose many of you found "Gentleman's Pistols" great. Then you're going to love this one. It's more mature and solid with twin guitars hitting you every second. For me it's a completely faultless album with excellent compositions which instantly becomes a classic one. Highly recommended!

Enjoy!
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Mother Sun Flower - Mother Sun Fucker EP (2011)

Mother Sun Flower is a power trio from Baltimore formed by members of The Flying Eyes and Whoarfrost. I missed their EP when it was released but fortunately I recently dug it. They successfully moving from a state of hypnosis to an aggressive punch in your face. Awesome swampy psych-guitar-worshiping rock. Mind blowing stuff!

Enjoy!
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Bandito - II (2011)

I have written about Bandito a while ago here about their first EP. The good news are that they're back with a killer self-released  EP. The bad news are that is an EP. I mean I would like to hear a full album by them which lasts longer. Anyway. First class stoner rock moving in the same way as their previous work, except "Nothing good, nothing bad" where they're getting into a more QOTSA direction. A worth checking release (check their first one too in case you have missed it).

You can download it for free through their bandcamp
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Entrance - Prayer of Death (2006)

"Prayer of Death" is Entrance's third album and at least for me it's their best one. Guy Blakeslee as a psychedelic shaman leads a trippy bluesy feast in honor of mr. Death, embracing and accepting him as a part of our life. A great combination of electric blues, psych jams, gospel and some good ol' vintage heavy rock which create an outstanding album. I'm not going to write more about it. I'll let Guy along with Paz Lenchantin and Derek James do the talking. Listen to it and give some attention to the great lyrics too!


Enjoy!
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Rock Trips Mixtape Vol. 1

A good friend of mine, Sakis, is the man behind a radio show called "Rock Trips" in a Greek local radio station. His show is on air every Monday at 22.00 - 00.00 (GMT +3) and you can hear it online here.
For almost a month now we're helping and supporting each other, I join the show sometimes, he contributes to the blog with some albums and so on... So we decided to make a 2-hour compilation containing the tunes played in every week's show.

Earthling Society - Stations Of The Ghost (2011)

Sixth full release for Earthling Society, "Stations Of The Ghost" consists of seven outstanding compositions which are going to please every space rock fan. With Fred Laird's guitar being album's leading force accompanied by some wonderful rhythm sections, vintage keyboards and space-drone sounds, Earthling Society create some imaginative, dreamy soundscapes which definitely warm your soul. What I liked in "Stations Of The Ghost" is that the band don't stick to space rock's "chaotic" - free music structure but they composed more complex and tied melodies, embracing progressive rock's sound. Overall is an absolutely amazing record which travels you to unknown, unexplored, liquid places. Don't miss Ian Wright's splendid saxophone in "Child Of The Harvest". Amazing stuff!

Enjoy!
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